The daily herald. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1886-1887, 1887-02-08
gpIaIrIsM AMONG fAe cAINess.
Extracts From Paper Read Before the
| PHILADELPHIA Academy OF Science.

Extracts From a Paper Read Before the
Philadelphia Academy Of Science.
Dr. Nolan read an interesting coinmunica-
ton recently received from Miss Adele NJ
Fielde, giving an account of the practice Of
spiritsin by the women Of Swallow, China.
In the eighth month OF the year they meet
privately and fall into frances. Nearly all
the native women are interested in these
secret sessions; but many are prevented from
being present by necessary occupations else
where, or by fear of rebuke from the men Of
their households These conclaves are en-
tered by women alone, and are regarded by
men with great disfavor. From three TO
dozen or more women gather around table
in the center OF room where they can BIO SO.
euro from Interruption. Incense sticks, spirit
money, and bamboo roots, bought by pre-
vious contribution Of farthings, are dis
tributed among all present. A fetish of some
sort, decayed splint hat an old broom,
chopstick, or, possibly, more uncleanly OBJ
ject, taken from q rubbish heap, is brought
in, and spirit money is burned before it with
obeisances.
Then those who desire TO fall into trance
sit down at the table, throw o black cloth
over the head, hold sheet of spirit money
and lighted incense stick between the palms
before the face, shut the eyes, and remain
motionless and SILENT OF the other women,
some light incense sticks and whirl them
around the heads Of the sitters; some rap
constantly, gently and rapidly with the
bamboo roots ON the edge OF the table; some
chant invocations, petitioning the gods TO
admit these their children to their abode.
Many and divers nominations are iterated.
Two or three Of the women, perhaps, fall
into trance. Their doing 20 Is indicated by
their trembling violently, dropping the incense
sticks they were holding, beginning TO beat
the table with the pali1 OF their hands and to
discourse incoherently. They speak of meet
ing their own lost friends, or those Of other
women who are present They weep bitterly
while they appear TO converse with the dead
They describe streets, Shops and houses, and
say that certain persons are engaged in
agriculture or trade
Sometimes they, by request, make inquiry
concerning the whereabouts Of dead peron,
and then give the information that he has
been born into the human family for the
second time Sometimes they report that q
dead neighbor is shut up in hades, with moth
ing to eat but the sailed flesh of the infant
daughters she destroyed when she was alive.
As no pecuniary benefit accrnes, directly or
indirectly, TO the actors in these scentsf there
Is less reason for suspecting conscious decop-
ton than in the case Of The public Interpreters
OF the gods. Throughout tho whole, however,
there is an indication that the minds OF the
women are, during these frances, moving in
customary grooves. They evidently see what
they expect to see. They bring back no ideas
save those which they took with them When
starting on their quest; and this leads one TO
doubt, in spite Of their disheveled hair,
pallor, and exhaustion, whether they have,
after all, really been away from home =
Science